SEARCY – The 17th-ranked Harding softball team got two more wins Monday to sweep the series over Ouachita Baptist 4-0 in Great American Conference action. The Lady Bisons won 3-2 and then won 9-8 on a walk-off hit by Katlyn Gordon. Harding won both games Sunday.
Harding improves to 16-4 overall and 10-2 in the GAC. After the wins Monday, the Lady Bisons are tied with Southern Arkansas for first place in the GAC.
Ouachita Baptist falls to 9-10 overall and 5-7 in the GAC.
Game One Key Innings (Harding 3, Ouachita Baptist 2)
- Harding jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Peyton Mills hit a solo home run to center field. It was her third home run of the season.
- The Lady Bisons scored two more runs in the fifth off three hits when Lindsey Duncan hit a double to right center field that scored two.
- Ouachita Baptist scored its only run in the seventh when Tobi Finley hit a single up the right field line that scored Sloane Precure.
Game One Key Statistics
- Ouachita Baptist out hit Harding 12-8.
- Peyton Mills and Katlyn Gordon each went 2-for-3 for the Lady Bisons.
- Sloane Precure and Tobi Finley each went 3-for-4 for Ouachita Baptist.
- Emma Dwyer got the win for Harding and improves to 6-1. She pitched five innings, gave up one earned run and had one strikeout.
- Emily Garrett picked up the save for the Lady Bisons in two innings of work. It was her first collegiate save.
- Marissa Butler received the loss for Ouachita Baptist and falls to 4-3.
Game Two Key Innings (Harding 9, Ouachita Baptist 8)
- Harding got the scoring started in the third, scoring four runs off four hits and an error. Katlyn Gordon highlighted the inning when she doubled in two runs.
- Ouachita Baptist made it a 4-3 game in the fourth when Sarah Johnson hit a three-run home run to left center field.
- The Tigers took an 8-4 lead in the fifth scoring five runs on three hits and an error. Natalie Jackson doubled in two runs.
- Harding got two runs back in the fifth off two hits and an error. Lindsey Duncan drove in a run and Kyndal Pirtle scored on an error.
- The Lady Bisons got another run in the sixth when Mason McCord had a pitch-hit sacrifice fly that scored Madison Leggett.
- Harding tied the game in the seventh when Briley Feringa hit a double to right center that scored Peyton Mills. With Kayla Anderson on third, Katlyn Gordon hit a single down the left field line for the winning run.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Harding had 15 hits led by Madison Leggett who went 4-for-4. Briley Feringa went 3-for-4 and Katlyn Gordon went 3-for-5.
- Ouachita Baptist had seven hits with Kelly Powell and Natalie Jackson each going 2-for-4.
- Emma Dwyer got the win for Harding and improves to 7-1. She pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief, gave up no earned runs and struck out two. Amanda Berry started the game and went 4 2/3 innings and struck out three.
- Lexi Brooks received the loss for Ouachita Baptist and falls to 0-3.
Up Next
- Harding will be back in action this weekend when it travels to Shawnee, Oklahoma to take on Oklahoma Baptist in a four-game GAC series. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m.
